" He wheeled upon
Gloucester and spoke with singular irrelevance, "And what is to be
done with the present Queen?"
Again the Duke shrugged. "I had not thought of the dumb wench. We have
many convents."
Now Maudelain twisted the paper between his long, wet fingers and
appeared to meditate.
"It would be advisable, your Grace," observed the Earl of Derby,
suavely, and breaking his silence for the first time, "that you
yourself should wed Dame Anne, once the Apostolic See has granted the
necessary dispensation. Treading too close upon the fighting requisite
to bring about the dethronement and death of our nominal lord the
so-called King, a war with Bohemia, which would be only too apt to
follow this noble lady's assassination, would be highly inconvenient,
and, lacking that, we would have to pay back her dowry."
Then these three princes rose and knelt before the priest; they were
clad in long bright garments, and they glittered with gold and many
jewels. He standing among them shuddered in his sombre robe. "Hail,
King of England!" cried these three.
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